


Buying Love

by opheliac_fairy



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Prostitution
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-26
Updated: 2014-04-26
Packaged: 2018-01-20 20:30:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1524566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opheliac_fairy/pseuds/opheliac_fairy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is a prostitute, and Arthur is lonely.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Buying Love

**Author's Note:**

> My secret is revealed that I'm an American who uses dirty American money and doesn't know how the British currency system works  
> So yes they're using American money hush
> 
> Also Sorry about any spelling errors it is three in the morning
> 
> and I've officially gone nuts over Mordred being Merlin's "son"

(◕﹏◕✿)

“Okay, so… How do we start this?” Arthur asked.

Merlin was sitting down on the bed of the motel, already shirtless and smiling. He shrugged at Arthur happily and said, “Whenever you’re ready.”

With a sigh, Arthur asked, “Should I pay you now, or after?”

He just shrugged again and answered, “Whatever you want.”

“I’ll just pay you now, then,” said Arthur as he dug through his wallet and retrieved a couple hundred dollar bills and handed them to Merlin. Merlin stuffed them into his jeans pocket and thanked him.

“Whenever you’re ready,” he said, “You can do whatever you like. My only rules are: no bondage I can’t get out of later, in case you run off, and no running off until we’re done.”

Nodding, Arthur said okay, and pulled off his shirt. He was toned and beautiful, with an athletic body and strong muscles. He looked like a Greek god in comparison to Merlin, who was scrawny and bony, with his rips all but protruding out of his stomach. He’d never been the type to build muscles. But Merlin wasn’t insecure. Men paid hundreds for one night with his body, as Arthur was doing tonight.

Arthur pushed Merlin down on the bed and crawled on top of him, pulling down his pants shyly. Merlin touched his hands and pulled them up to cup his cheek. “Slow down,” he said, “We have all night.” Arthur nodded, and asked if it was okay to kiss him. “Of course it is. Do whatever you like.” So Arthur pressed his lips against Merlin’s, and slowly kissed.

The two kissed for a long time, rolling their hips together and making low noises. Merlin flicked his tongue along Arthur’s lips, beckoning him to stay close. Arthur liked the kissing, they were both good at it. He occasionally nibbled on Merlin’s lip, earning a noise he knew was probably fake, but enjoyed nonetheless. He was throbbing in his jeans by the time Merlin let him take them off, following his lead and exposing his own hard-on. He touched his hand to Arthur’s length and stroked him slowly. Arthur replied by pressing his hips into his hand and having him go faster.

“Are you ready to fuck me?” he asked. Arthur said he was.

Later, the two men lay in bed together, cooling down from the hours of sex. They were both hot and sticky, and Merlin busied himself by cleaning up the drops of semen on his chest with a tissue.

“Wow,” said Arthur, huffing out a puff of smoke.

Merlin smiled and asked, “Did you like it?”

“I did,” he replied, and took another drag of his cigarette.

“Oh, can I have one?” asked Merlin, and Arthur fetched him one from his jeans pocket. He lit it for him, and the two spent a moment in silence, smoking. After a while, Arthur spoke up, asking, “When are we supposed to leave?”

Merlin chuckled. “Whenever you want.”

(◕﹏◕✿)

During the week, Arthur stayed late in the office every night, doing paperwork and filling out documents, making phone calls and organizing files. He would stay as late as one in the morning, not making into bed until two. One night, Arthur had fallen asleep at his desk with his pen in his hand. His secretary, Gwen, had found him, nudging him timidly and whispering, “Sir? Sir, wake up.”

Arthur opened his eyes and jolted up, calling out, “What? What?”

Gwen blushed. “Sir, you fell asleep at your desk.”

He groaned leaned back in his chair. “Sorry, Gwen. Did you need anything?”

“Yes,” she said, and suddenly became nervous. “Your father says he needs the report on the company sales by tomorrow.”

“Of course he does,” Arthur sighed, “Thank you, I’ll make sure to give it to him.”

“Also…” she looked down at her feet. “Mithian called. She’s on the phone for you.”

Arthur’s heart sank. He picked up the phone, and tried to say, as cool and collected as he could, “Hello?”

A sweet voice replied, saying, “Arthur? It’s Mithian.”

“Hello, Mithian.”

“I was just asking – Is my favorite dress still at your house? I can’t find it.”

“You mean the blue one?”

“Yes. I checked all my boxes, but I can’t find it anywhere. I think I left it in the closet.”

Arthur felt something heavy well up in his chest, but he kept his voice firm and steady as he replied, “I’ll check as soon as I get home tonight.”

“Okay, thank you. You know where I’m staying, right? Just drop it off if you find it.”

“Okay.”

She hung up, then. Arthur hung up and set down the phone. Gwen was gone, and he was alone in his office. The loneliness filled the room, crushing against him and splashing into him. He craved a drink, or maybe good sex, but it was too early for a drink, and there was no one to fuck. Ever since Mithian had left him, there was no sex, nor was there love or affection of any kind. His flat was big and empty, all of her things plucked out and removed from the scene.

God, things had been awful lately.

(◕﹏◕✿)

“Merlin,” Arthur said into the phone. It was late, Arthur had just gotten home and sat down to eat dinner when he remembered Merlin – someone he could _pay_ to be affectionate, to love him, to fuck him.  Someone he could _pay_ to make him feel better. And he was just desperate enough to do that. “Are you available tonight?”

“Uhh…” there was a pause. “I am later. How’s eleven sound?”

Arthur told him that was perfect, and to meet him at the same motel as last time. He hung up, and lied down waited until eleven.

(◕﹏◕✿)

“How much would it cost to have you suck me off?”

Merlin thought for a moment, and then smiled. “For you, I’ll give you a discount. Two thirds the cost of last time. Think of it as a present, and an invitation to work together in the future.”

“Perfect,” said Arthur. He began unzipping his jeans, but Merlin stopped him, placing his hands over Arthur’s and pulling them away. “Stop, not so fast. Let’s enjoy tonight. I brought some wine. Will you have a drink with me?”

Arthur said they would, and Merlin pulled a bottle of cheap wine and two glasses from his bag. “I carry all my work equipment in this bag. Well. Almost. For my special clients, I have a few things at home.”

“Special clients?”

“Yeah! The ones I’ve known for a while, who are into really kinky stuff. Nimu—I mean, whoops, I shouldn’t say her name – but anyway, she’s into roleplaying. So I have a few costumes I keep in my closet for when we have an appointment together.” Arthur listened carefully, trying to keep his face composed. It must not’ve been working, as Merlin frowned and said, “Do you have any kinky stuff you’d like to try? I’ll bring it next time.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s just—I’ve never been with a prostitute before last time, and you’re so open about it – it’s just disarming.”

Smiling again, Merlin took a long sip of his wine. “Well, I have to make the best out of the situation, don’t I? This is the only thing I’m good at, so I might as well enjoy it.”

“What do you mean this is the only thing you’re good at?” argued Arthur, scowling at Merlin like he’d offended him, “I’m sure there’s something else your good at besides sex.”

Merlin shrugged. “Well, maybe. But this is the best option for me. I mean, I work a few nights a week and make enough money to support my family.” The mention of his family made Arthur uncomfortable. He shifted, and said nothing. Merlin continued, “It’s this, or work as a chemist in my uncle’s pharmacy. No thanks. Besides, I make more money doing this. God knows I need it. I got people _to take care of_ , Arthur.”

They both went quiet.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin the mood,” said Merlin. “Why don’t we touch each other a bit to get it back?”

The two kissed and groped each other, Merlin massaging Arthur’s crotch and Arthur returning the gesture by squeezing Merlin’s ass. Merlin squeaked and blushed, which only made him chuckle and steal a kiss. They twisted their tongues together and bit each other’s lips, and slid their hands into the other’s pants and rolling their hips together. Merlin asked if he still wanted him to suck him off. Arthur said he did.

Merlin pinned Arthur down on the bed and peeled off his shirt. He kissed and nipped at his collar bone, earning a sigh. He dragged his tongue along Arthur’s skin as he slowly, teasingly, went down his chest. Kissing his way down his stomach, Merlin pulled down Arthur’s trousers and reached into his boxers. He touched his fingers lightly to his cock, making Arthur growl at him. He just chuckled and pulled down his boxers, leaving him exposed and naked, and Merlin fully dressed.

He kissed the head of his cock, flicking his tongue along the tip and squeezing the shaft lightly. Arthur groaned, rolling his hips into him. “Just suck me already,” he muttered. Merlin said alright, and took him into his mouth. He bobbed his head and ran his tongue along his shaft. Hallowing his cheeks and humming, he took Arthur deep into his mouth, deep-throating him with talent. Arthur pet Merlin’s hair, occasionally tugging on it and pulling Merlin’s mouth up to suckle the tip. Merlin let Arthur do what he wanted and followed his lead.

When they were finished, Merlin excused himself to the bathroom, taking a bottle of mouthwash from his bag with him. He came back after a moment, and sat down on the edge of the bed with his legs crossed. “Did you enjoy it?” he asked with a timid smile. Arthur said he did, and he lit up happily. “Good! Most of my clients are women, so I don’t get to practice giving head very often. And, you know, feedback is always nice. I like knowing I’m doing a good job.” Merlin rambled on about feedback and doing a good job, when he suddenly said, “Sometimes I get insecure about how well I am at what I do. You ever get like that?”

Arthur thought about his answer. “Well, of course I do. When you have the kind of job I do, you always get insecure. But you can’t let your insecurities ruin you. You just have to push through them and prove yourself wrong. Perhaps I’m going to do a horrible job on the report due tomorrow, but odds are, I’m going to do phenomenal. I always do.”

Merlin chuckled. “You have a report due tomorrow?”

“Yes,” Arthur groaned. “That’s why I booked you for tonight.”

“That’s always why.” He shrugged. “I have one client who always books me every night the week before Christmas. They say it’s stressful. But hey, it buys my son Christmas presents.”

Arthur’s mouth fell open and he gasped for air. “You—You have a son?”

“Why’s that surprising?” He pouted, “But no, not really. He’s not _my_ son. But he’s like a son. His name’s Mordred. Want to see his picture?” He lit up and grinned at Arthur with excitement. Arthur said sure, and Merlin reached into his jeans pocket, retrieved his wallet, and opened it up. He plucked out a picture and handed it to Arthur. The picture was of a small boy with big, green eyes that stared into his soul in a rather frightening sort of way. He wasn’t smiling, and was wearing a green hoodie with his hands in the pockets. Merlin cooed, “He’s really bright for just thirteen. Though, he doesn’t talk much. Never has. I think that’s because he has PTSD. His father died when he was young, and he doesn’t have any living relatives. So I took him in. He’s been living with me and my mother – oh, my mother has an injury and can’t work, so she stays with me – for two years now.”

Maybe it was the photograph of a family member, especially a child, or perhaps it was the adoration and love in his voice, but for once, Arthur had seen Merlin as a person, and not just a prostitute. He wasn’t just a sex object, but rather he was a person, with a job, with a family to support and bills to pay. He was human, with a son who apparently might have PTSD, and a mother who couldn’t work due to an injury. He had problems, too. Just like Arthur.

“He’s cute,” said Arthur. “Where does he go to school?”

“Just the nearby public school,” he shrugged.

“Does he… Does he know what you do?”

This made Merlin frown and look embarrassed, his cheeks turning pink. “I’m pretty sure he understands what I do. Like I said, he’s brilliant. He picks up on things. He’s met one of my clients – she’s a family friend – but when she’s at my house, she’s kind of just a friend. He calls her Aunt Morgause.” Arthur made a disgusted look, and Merlin got wide-eyed. “Oh! No! Morgause and I don’t have sex in _my_ house. Always her house, and while he’s at school, or after his bed time. I never take my clients to my house to _work._ That’s just asking to get caught.”

Arthur sighed in relief, and the two stayed quiet and drank more wine. After they had each had another glass, Arthur left, and returned home to work on his report.

(◕﹏◕✿)

Arthur managed to get the report finished and delivered to his father on time, and though he’d never admit it, he had Merlin to thank for that. The morning was blessed with good feelings, and apparently everyone had noticed.

“You look happy today, Arthur,” said Gwen with a smile.

“I had a wonderful evening,” he replied, grinning back at her.

She set down her papers and walked with Arthur to his office. “That’s fantastic! Did you have a date or something?”

He blushed and looked down at his feet. “No, I just spent the night with a friend.”

“You’re blushing!” she cooed, “It must’ve been a date! Who was it with? Do I know them? Are they cute? I’m so glad you’re moving on from Mithian.”

This made Arthur frown. “Yeah,” he said, halfheartedly, “Me too.”

He thought throughout the day, about Mithian, about how lonely he felt. And something inside him snapped then – he realized he was tired of being alone. He needed to move on, start going on dates, get a new partner. And quite frankly, he didn’t care who. He just wanted someone, someone to fill the void.

So he called Merlin that night when he had gotten home.

“Hey, Arthur!” Merlin chirped on the phone, “Um, hold on – Mordred! Pick up your pencils, please! Sorry, fatherhood comes first. What did you need? To schedule our next appointment?”

He hesitated, then blurted out, “I’d like to take you out on a date.”

“A…date? Will you pay me for it?”

“No, like a real date, not the one I pay for.”

“Oh. Okay! When’s good for you? I promised Mordred we’d go out for pizza on Friday, but how’s Thursday sound?”

Arthur let out a sigh of relief. “Sure, Thursday’s fine.”

“Brilliant. Where did you have in mind?”

Shit. He hadn’t thought about that. “Well, we could grab a coffee after you drop Mordred off at school.”

“He walks, but after he leaves is fine. I’ll text you my address, and you can pick me up whenever after seven.”

This was already going better than Arthur could’ve hoped. “Okay. See you Thursday.”

“Okay. …Arthur?”

“Yes?”

There was a pause, and Arthur could hear what sounded like a door closing. “This isn’t just about sex, is it?”

“Of course not,” Arthur said, and it was sincere. If he did get laid out of it, well then good on him, but that wasn’t the point. The point was to the fill the void and move on from Mithian. “You see, I recently broke up with a woman I’ve been with since college. I’m just trying to move on, and you were the first person who came to mind.”

“Why’s that?” asked Merlin, genuinely curious sounding, though slightly disgusted. “Because I give great head?”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “ _Because_ , I happen to find you genuinely considerate.” It wasn’t until then that Arthur realized he did find Merlin considerate. If he wasn’t a prostitute, he _could_ be someone Arthur pursued wholeheartedly. Merlin knew how to read Arthur, his expressions. He gave Arthur exactly what he needed: relief. Surely Merlin could give that without the sex.

There was another pause, and then Merlin said, “Okay. See you Thursday. Bye,”

“Bye.”

(◕﹏◕✿)

Merlin’s house was small and shabby, its entirety smaller than Arthur’s apartment. There was a garden in the front, where various herbs and strange looking flowers grow. There was a car parked in a driveway with a bicycle leaning against it. Merlin lived only a short walk away from the public school, and kids were passing by the house to get there. Arthur parked in the street, and went up to the door. He knocked, and could hear Merlin call out, “Bye mum!” and a sweet, delicate voice call back, “Bye, Merlin. Be safe.”

The door opened, and Merlin was there smiling at him. “Hey, Arthur,” he greeted pleasantly.

“Morning,” said Arthur. He wasn’t much of a morning person, not without his coffee. But today, he’d had an extra cup, for good luck. “Was that your mother?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled embarrassedly and stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind him and locking it. “She’s real sweet, you should meet her some day. But right now, I’m seriously craving a frappucino.”

Merlin did most of the talking during the short drive to Starbucks. He relayed his morning to Arthur, how they all woke up late, and Mordred tried to play sick to stay home, but he wasn’t buying it, and sent him off, anyway. “He never lets you know when he’s sick! I swear, he had strep throat, no one knew for like, a week! Do you know people like that?”

“Yeah, my sister,” he replied, “Never relies on anyone but herself. Especially when it’s coming from our father. They hate each other, god it’s ridiculous. When we were growing up, they’d have horrible screaming matches that’d last for hours, and they’d both go to bed angry, and wake up as if nothing happened.”

“How old is she?”

“Only a few months younger than me,” he shrugged, peaking over at Merlin’s curious look, “We’re only half-siblings. My father had an affair with her mother after my mother passed away.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” There was a pause. “How’d your mother die?”

“Complications during childbirth,” he said, with a shrug. “It’s old news now. To me, at least.”

“If it makes you feel better,” Merlin mumbled, “I never met my father, either. My mum says he was murdered when she was pregnant with me.”

By now they were parked at a Starbucks, but neither of them were getting out. They sat there, talking. Arthur smiled at Merlin and said, “Well, I guess we have something in common.”

Merlin grinned a toothy smile. His teeth, Arthur noticed, were perfect and straight and white. It made him self-conscious – Arthur had crooked teeth he always planned to get fixed one day, but never did. “You have nice teeth,” he said idly, and got out of the car.

Opening the car door and stepping out with that smile still stuck on his face, Merlin said, “Thanks! I get them from my mother.”

They went into Starbucks together and ordered their coffee. Arthur got a vanilla latte, and Merlin got a mocha frappucino. “We’re opposites,” Merlin noted, and tapped his cup against Arthur’s.

 “In more ways than one,” said Arthur, smiling crookedly.

“They say opposites attract. And so far I’d say they’re right. I’ve always enjoyed having people to water me down a bit.”

“And I could always use someone to put me in my place every now and then.”

They sat down, and drank their coffee happily. Merlin did most of the chatting again, mostly about his family. He asked Arthur questions about his job, and his family, but the questions were always longer than the answer.

“So, what exactly do you do? What is it that makes you so much money? I bet you’re a CEO for a business.”

“I’m a CEO for my father’s business.”

“I knew it!”

When they finished their coffee and had talked for half an hour, Arthur looked at his watch and frowned. “I have to go to work.”

Merlin smiled politely. “Oh, okay. Did I earn a second date?”

“How about next Friday? We could go get dinner.”

“Brilliant.”

Arthur drove Merlin back home. They didn’t kiss, though Arthur wanted to, but Merlin never gave him the chance. He made no physical contact with Arthur, not even by accident. Maybe he was just looking too deep into things, he thought. Maybe Merlin was more traditional than he expected. It didn’t matter to him, not really.


End file.
